Woman Appeared to Suffocate Infant in Front of Indian River Deputies

Published: June 5, 2019

Indian River Child Abuse Attorney Jeffrey H. Garland

Deputies from Indian River County took a 19-year-old Cocoa woman into custody earlier in the week after she was alleged to have made threats against an infant. Deputies at the scene apparently believed that the woman was trying to suffocate the 6-month-old child. They had been searching for her and the child after she had threatened to harm herself and an infant. Her cell phone was giving police a signal from a Walmart parking lot on 20th Street. She was located there inside of her locked seat.

Deputies reported that when they approached the woman, she began to squeeze the infant by placing it face down on her chest and appeared to be suffocating it. They smashed her car window to access the infant and removed it from the car before taking the woman into custody. She has been charged with felony child abuse and resisting arrest without violence.

According to Indian River child abuse attorney Jeffrey H. Garland, Florida Statute 827.03(2)(c) controls the crime of child abuse. It states that “A person who knowingly or willfully abuses a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement to a child commits a felony in the third degree…” The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine not to exceed $5,000. Aside from the criminal consequences of a conviction, there are collateral consequences too. A person with a felony conviction is unlikely to pass a security check or obtain certain types of employment. They can also expect hurdles with educational and housing opportunities.

Hiring an Indian River Child Abuse Attorney

Jeffrey H. Garland is an Indian River criminal defense attorney with extensive courtroom and trial experience. If you are taken into custody for allegedly abusing a child, don’t give any type of a statement or confession. The police will only turn it over to the prosecution, and the prosecution will use it against you to try and convict you of the offense. Exercise your right to remain silent along with your right to an attorney, and contact Jeffrey H. Garland at 772-489-2200. Always remember that the prosecution has the burden of proving you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Retain Jeffrey H. Garland as your attorney, and hold the prosecution to that burden.